Quick combinations up front

by Tony Carr in Attacking, Practice plans

 PRINT
 Save to My Activities
Quick combination play between your midfielders, wide players and strikers in and around
the opponent’s penalty box will create havoc and lead to goals. Read on to learn how you can
help your players develop these skills.
What this session is about
1.  Crossing and finishing.
2.  Quick combination play.
3.  Creating chances to score goals.
What to think about
The understanding between your attacking players must be developed during training and put
in to use in matches.
Giving players time to become familiar with each other’s individual strengths and skills is
much more effective than giving them a set way of doing things.
This type of creative coaching enables your team to utilise the skills of these individuals.
To develop this as your own personal coaching style, start with a simple practice and then
instruct your players to bring the drill to life by moving and combining as they see fit. Their
free-thinking play will allow them to enjoy the game more and is likely to earn your team
better results.
Set-up
Warm
Warm up Session Developments Game Situation
Down

10 minutes 15 minutes 15 minutes 15 minutes 5

minutes
What you get your players to do
Set up an area with four mannequins/poles and two teams, as shown in the top picture.
Use two teams. Each team has two wide players who alternate between serving and crossing.
Each team also has a group of forwards who alternate playing in the number 9 and number 10
position. In this exercise, the number 10 is the deeper forward who plays behind 9.
To start, the serving player passes to the wide player who dribbles the ball up the wing to
cross into the box and meet the runs of 9 and 10.
The next cross comes from the opposite wing for the other team’s forwards.
Wide players cross the ball for 9 and 10 to score.

Development
Now develop the practice by giving the wide player the option to dribble outside to cross or
to dribble inside and combine with 9 or 10.
Freedom is now handed over to the players to move and react as they would in a match.
Therefore, if the wide player goes up the wing, the number 9 and 10 must make runs into the
box.
However, if the wide player dribbles inside, 9 and 10 must now make different runs to offer a
passing option both in front or behind the defence.
Some options the players can use are:
A) The wide player makes a one-two with the number 9 to cross for the number 10.
B) The wide player passes to the number 10 who slides the ball in for 9 to shoot at goal.
C) The number 10 opens his body to shoot at goal from outside the box.
Wide players now have the option of combining inside the area with the strikers or going up
the wing again.

Game situation
Mark out an area with a regular goal at one end and two flag goals at the other, as shown in
the bottom picture.
Play a small-sided game. One team attacks the big goal and is made up of two midfielders
(M), two wide players (W) and two attackers (number 9 and 10). The other, defensive, team
has one goalkeeper, four defenders (D) and one midfielder (M).
The aim is for the attacking team to build up and score a goal while the more defensive team
tries to win possession and can score by passing the ball through either of the flag goals. Play
always restarts with the attacking team. Swap team roles and see which team scores most
goals.
A team of midfielders, wingers and a 9 and 10 combine to score in the big goal. The
defensive team can score in flag goals.

What to call out

SHARE THIS
SHARE

About Tony Carr

Tony Carr is one of the most influential figures in English football. The former West Ham
Academy director has brought through – from the youth team to the first team – players like
Glen Johnson, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole and
Jermain Defoe.
View all posts by Tony Carr >
RELATED

Midfield dynamite
in Attacking, Midfield
A session aimed at getting players to create and utilise space in midfield. With quick passing
and movement, it should help open up the opposition and make goal scoring chances. MORE
 Pass to Ronaldo
in Attacking, Passing
A good final ball can create a solid scoring opportunity. The aim of this session is to get
players passing like Juventus and to create scoring chances for your own Cristiano Ronaldo
MORE
LATEST ACTIVITIES
 What can football learn from rugby?
 Listen to some great advice
 Get parents onside
 Educating the coach
 Six of the best 1v1s
 Dribble and change direction
 One-two work out
 Last training before Christmas?
 Midfield dynamite
 Making a difference
 Review your tactics
 A new player wants to join the team…
MOST POPULAR DRILLS
 Space Invaders
 9v9 Formations
 Space Wars
 What is a Rondo in soccer?
RECOMMENDED
 FUN SOCCER GAMES FOR 5 TO 8 YEAR OLDS
Don't Feed The Monkeys, Ghostbusters and other really fun stuff for kids new to soccer
MORE

BUY